Rabbi Barenblat writes about the recurring theme of death in this parashah, rather than focusing on the challenging concept of hukim, which don’t appear to make sense.  In her experience, the contact with the dead isn’t an “unclean” experience, as much as it is a changing experience; one becomes spiritually out of phase for a period of time.  Since the ritual of parah adumah is impossible today, we have developed other rituals to address the challenging contact with death, such as shiva.  However, in light of the terrible events on October 7, everyone-Jews and Palestinians-has been touched by death, without the luxury of closure.  We lack the rituals that in Biblical times would have washed away the grief.